Wednesday, October 14, 2009

Blogging Through Romans: Romans 11: 25-36

Here Paul concludes, albeit a little condescendingly, that, yes, ALL of Israel will be saved. And God is only saving Israel because “the gifts and calling of God are irrevocable” (v. 29). Irrevocable for US and for GOD. Paul seems to suggest that God saves Israel grudgingly, but only after all the Gentiles find their way into covenant with God (v. 28). But I wonder if his choice of words are more his own discomfort with God saving his fellow Jews without Christ, than in God’s dutibound conscience.

Don’t you hate it when God chooses someone that you wished God didn’t. You may have seen on CNN the Baptist preacher in Arizona who preached sermon a called “Why I HATE Barack Obama.” where he says “he prays everyday that Barack Obama will die and go to Hell.”

Nice, eh? But Paul’s response would be, Pray all you want. God chooses who God chooses. And God NEVER breaks a covenant.

God’s grace is the great leveler. We’re ALL in the same boat when it comes to sin and grace. When God establishes a covenant with us, that covenant will remain solid. No matter what we do to try and break it.

But after Paul’s embittered concession that God hasn’t rejected Israel Paul breaks into a stirring doxology that reminds his readers that we mortals cannot understand God’s thinking. And maybe that’s a good thing.